A few common ingredients combine to produce a symphony of rich Italian flavors in this creamy, garlicky, filling pasta with egg and cheese recipe.
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Quick and easy pasta with egg and cheese
Don’t let the image of the Italian grandmother spending all day carefully tending to her sauce fool you. Many delicious pasta recipes are fast, flavorful, and easy enough for any home cook to whip up for a weeknight dinner. This pasta with egg and cheese recipe is one of them.
What makes pasta with egg and cheese so good?
If the idea of a cheesy, eggy pasta seems familiar, that’s for good reason. It’s a simplified twist on the famous Italian pasta preparation, spaghetti carbonara, just without the meat.
Still, it enjoys the intense creaminess and unique flavor that results from the merging of freshly grated parmesan, lusciously cooked eggs, and pungent garlic. Pasta is the perfect vehicle for this simple sauce, allowing each ingredient to shine.
Why you should try this recipe
Beyond the mouthwatering flavors, this pasta with egg and cheese recipe is a great meatless option, one so tasty your meat-loving family or friends will hardly notice they’re eating vegetarian.
Along the same lines, it’s also budget-friendly, relying primarily on cheap, easy-to-find ingredients enhanced by small but powerfully flavored boosts like parmesan, olive oil, and garlic.
It’s also speedy to get on the table when you or your guests are hungry. By the time the pasta has boiled, you’re already done with the egg and cheese sauce and just minutes away from chowing down.
Ingredients
The process for making this garlicky, eggy pasta is simple. In fact, most of the ingredients are right in the name!
- Pasta: Creates the foundation, carrying sauce while providing a satisfying texture
- Large eggs: Provides richness and create a creamy sauce base
- Parmesan: Adds sharp, salty flavor and helps thicken the sauce
- Garlic: Provides aromatic base and depth of flavor
- Extra Virgin Olive oil: Prevents sticking and adds richness
- Salt/pepper: Enhances all other flavors while adding complexity
Ingredient notes
Longer noodles, like spaghetti, linguine, or fettuccine, are generally best for this recipe. However, other types can be easily substituted, including the tiny pieces known as pastina. You can even substitute gluten-free pasta for those avoiding wheat for health or dietary reasons.
In addition, your parmesan should ideally be freshly grated for the best flavor, but pre-grated packaged cheese works just as well if this isn’t possible.
You can substitute the Parmesan cheese with Parmigiano-Reggiano or Pecorino Romano.
How to make pasta with egg and cheese
Making this recipe involves just a few steps and a few minutes of active cooking.
- First, boil water in a large pot and prepare your pasta al dente, according to the directions on the box.
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat, add garlic, and cook for a few seconds.
- Use a whisk to beat the eggs and cheese.
- Add the beaten eggs and cheese to the skillet. The eggs will start to cook but will finish when you add the pasta, with the residual heat of the pasta.
- Toss together drained cooked pasta and egg mixture until thoroughly combined.
- Season with salt and black pepper to your taste.
- Serve the hot pasta in a pasta bowl.
Recipe variations
The simplicity of this deliciously savory recipe makes it easy to tweak the dish to your taste and available ingredients.
Some chopped, cooked pancetta or bacon provides a perfect salty addition to make it an even more substantial meal. Vegetarians can opt for sauteed mushrooms instead.
Meanwhile, a sprinkling of herbs like fresh parsley or oregano can also brighten up the dish and create a more complex flavor.
Don’t forget to scour your refrigerator, too! Lots of leftovers, from veggies to remaining pieces of meat, can be quickly integrated into this tasty, customizable recipe.
For creamy pasta, add a little heavy cream.
What goes well with garlicky pasta with egg and cheese
Make it a full Italian-inspired meal with easy sides like garlic bread, doubling down on the comforting carbs and garlicky flavors. On the other hand, blanched broccoli or roasted asparagus can provide a freshness that complements the rich creaminess of the pasta. A simple, fresh salad can also work for this purpose.
What wine pairs best with this egg pasta dish?
Nothing caps off a homemade pasta dinner like a glass of wine (for those of age.) However, you don’t want one that will overpower the delicate, creamy cheese, garlic, and eggs flavors.
That’s why you should leave the robust reds on the wine rack and open a white bottle instead. The best varietals are crisp, fruity ones like Pinot Grigio or Gris. Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc will also work well.
How to store leftovers
If you’ve got leftovers from your garlic egg pasta batch, storing them for later is simple. First, allow the pasta to cool to room temperature, then package it in an airtight container. Store it in the refrigerator, and eat it within three to four days.
Freezing isn’t recommended, as it can result in undesirable changes to the texture of the sauce and noodles.
How to reheat
This pasta is also easy to reheat. This can be done through short bursts in the microwave or over gentle heat in a saucepan on the stove. Additional olive oil can help loosen up the noodles if they seem too dry.
Love Quick and Easy Pasta Meals? Check out these recipes:
- One Pot Pasta
- Chicken Alfredo Fusilli
- Pasta with Artichokes
- Easy Garlic Butter Shrimp Pasta
- Tex Mex Taco Spaghetti Recipe
- Spaghettios and Meatballs
- Baked Spaghetti Casserole
- Easy Pasta Primavera
- Stuffed Manicotti
- Meatless Spaghetti Pie
More Vegetarian Recipes
Be sure to look at more of my easy pasta dishes and tasty vegetarian recipes.
Pasta with Egg
Ingredients
- 1/2 pound pasta
- 2 eggs beaten
- 2 teaspoon olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic
- 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese freshly grated
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Put the pasta onto boil in plenty of salted water.
- While your pasta is cooking, heat the oil in a large skillet. Add the garlic and sauté just for a moment (do not overcook).
- Reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta water. Drain the pasta.
- Remove the skillet from the stove. Add the pasta, eggs, and cheese to the frying pan.
- Stir and mix well. The residual heat will cook the eggs. The cheese will melt, and the eggs will make a thick sauce if you feel the sauce is too thick, you may want to add a tablespoon or two of the pasta water.
Video
Notes
- 🍝 Pasta Water: Save 1 cup of pasta cooking water before draining – it’s liquid gold for adjusting sauce consistency.
- 🥚 Egg Safety: Never add eggs to screaming hot pasta – let it cool slightly to prevent scrambling while maintaining creaminess.
- 🧀 Cheese Wisdom: Grate fresh and at room temperature for the smoothest sauce integration.
As all have said, it’s fast, easy, and good. And as many have said, my eggs curdled, 2nd time in a row, I’ll try turning off the heat and waiting a bit longer next time before adding the eggs,
Easy. Fast. Delicious.
Thank you.
Hi I was wondering how would you reheat this
I don’t think this would reheat well at all. I think the egg has the potential to turn into scrambled eggs.
This is a quick , easy and delicious meal. I did double all ingredients since my 3 grandson’s live with me and then added a little bit more parmesan cheese.it came out great. I will definitely be making it again and again.
The first time I had pesto was also the only time I had fresh pesto from the blender on spaghetti with what looked like egg drop solids and crushed red pepper stuck to it. Needless to say, of all the restaurants, no matter how pretentious, only one had pesto fresh enough to come close, and I let them know it! On the other hand, my attempt to drop egg into the boiling pasta water was disappointing. The second/alternative recipe sounds promising, given that the hot pasta cooks the raw eggs in place, rather than cooking the ahead of time. Skipping the cheese would seem even closer to reproducing this gourmet meal.
Is this supposed to have little bits of scrambled eggs in pasta or is it supposed to be smooth and cream. I don’t think it’s curdling. I’ve made it twice and it’s come out that way and tasted delicious. But then, I tried another recipe for comparison that used two additional egg yolks and it was smooth but didn’t taste as good as this recipe.
Ideally, it should be smooth, without the eggs becoming curds.
I did not get a smooth sauce at all but it was still tasty( and i needed to use some eggs)
To get that smooth consistency you may want to turn down the heat a bit more than where you had it. I have seen some people make this by turning off the heat, adding the pasta to the pan, and then adding the eggs. The heat of the hot pasta can cook the eggs.
what a simple and easy recipe!
I liked this, I added a few pea pods.
This was a cheap and decent meal.
I’ve been looking for this pasta recipe. I read in a book of Frank Sinatra, Sr. that one method he cooked his own pasta was with this sauce. I just forgot what to do with the egg to prevent it from curdling. Now I remember to stir the egg immediately with the hot pasta.
This was one of Frank Sinatra’s favorite to whip up after a late night!
Wow, I had no idea that he enjoyed this dish too! It is so tasty, and so easy to put together.
I just made this for dinner along with some garlic bread and blanched Brocholli for sides. Everyone loved it and infact were fighting for more. I added some dried herbs too. Thanks for such a simple recipe.
my grandfather and father made this dish with one exception. The eggs were dropped whole into the hot pasta and the pasta was wstirred. This made a thin sauce on the pasta. They also addec crushed red peppers, parsley and oregano
Yum! I like to do this with either a raw egg opened on top of the just out of the pot hot pasta or a poched egg. Anyway you do it, it’s just plain good!
Yum, an almost-carbonara (a food I adore so much I should really have it tattooed somewhere on my person). I love this with sauteed mushrooms as an add-on too.